BajaNomad

No nets in the Sea of Cortez

Osprey - 7-24-2015 at 02:47 PM

A couple of days ago my neighbors, who run nets up and down our beaches here in pangas, were busted on the beach by a Pesca squad and our local FONMAR guy. They took away the boats and equipment and our guy told me they were in serious trouble for netting activities. Since they have operated here for ages with some La Paz permits I supposed it was a problem with the shark season.

A week ago in Cabo the charter fleet ran into a GIANT school of tuna, they all converged on it only to be muscled out by the big super seiners who gathered em all up and split.

Now today I see in the Gringo Gazette a very small article that says ALL COMMERCIAL NETTING INCLUDING PANGAS IN THE SOC HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FOR TWO YEARS BECAUSE THE VAQUITA ARE DOWN TO LESS THAN 100 ANIMALS.

Maybe that’s why my neighbors were busted, and that’s why the big tuna boats were so aggressive outside the SOC. I think it’s great news but I fear the netting on the Pacific might pick up drastically, that they may really go nuts with the yellowtail and the tuna pens/sardines thing since they can’t operate over on this side any more.

Cabo people might begin to see blockades of seiners at the mouth of the Sea of Cortez rounding up all pelagic fish that go in or out and change things drastically for a lot of sportsmen and charter people.

The timing is not quite right or I could blame the new crackdown on the Dorado Shootout tourney right here in East Cape -- the winner owns a popular fishing lure company and maybe the picture of him holding the biggest (12.9 pound) dorado went viral and got some appropriate attention and action.


Mula - 7-24-2015 at 02:55 PM

Wish there was a LIKE button on this forum!!!:bounce:

BigBearRider - 7-24-2015 at 03:55 PM

I really hope this is good news for the Vaquita.

I heard the government was going to take action, but I'm still impressed that the government is doing something.

However, my understanding is that the Vaquita lives in the upper portion of the Sea of Cortez, by Puerto Penasco and San Felipe. If that is correct, and the Vaquita does not go down to BCS, maybe it doesn't make much sense to ban net fishing in BCS?

[Edited on 7-24-2015 by BigBearRider]

bajabuddha - 7-24-2015 at 03:59 PM

'Bout time for a little enforcement in the SOC. There was a documentary on NOVA a few nights back about the fishing wars in the Indonesia area (east and west) and we're talking AK-47's, RPG's, floating armory vessels loaded with all kinds of weapons for sale AND merc's for hire, and wanton executions of small-time fishermen by bigger-time armed boats..... the SOC definitely has problems, but man, be glad it isn't as bad.

I guess there is something to be said for a (somewhat) un-armed nation.

Russ - 7-24-2015 at 05:19 PM

Don't get your hopes up to high. We've seen these actions before and they may last a week but have always fizzled out quickly. Believe me I really want to be hopeful. I've just been disappointed soooo many time I feel helpless.
God bless our waters and those that protect it.

[Edited on 7-25-2015 by Russ]

Udo - 7-24-2015 at 06:25 PM

A 12.9lb. dorado wins the tournament?
Quote: Originally posted by Osprey  


the picture of him holding the biggest (12.9 pound) dorado went viral and got some appropriate attention and action.

BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 7-24-2015 at 07:09 PM

Hola Osprey,

WOW ! thank you for the great news. hopefully, they'll keep following up and get rid of all the nets.

Next, the hookah bas**ds and then the big seiners.

yes, i know...WISHFUL THINKING. it's a start.

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT

redhilltown - 7-24-2015 at 11:11 PM

Good to hear. The Vaquita are only the canary in the coal mine. Let's hope some of this sticks.

Osprey - 7-25-2015 at 06:02 AM

The Vaquita were doomed by mama nature. They eat where they live and it happens to be at the very end of a big wet net. That mama didn't see us coming so she didn't bother to build adaptability into some of her creatures.

Same with lots of sea birds in the northern gulf. They used to count the birds and nests on the islands, now they simply count the anchovetas, the food they need to live. People wanted, needed the same food the animals ate, the animals can't or won't switch to other food or travel to find more --- end of story.

It's happening all over and we are hard pressed to compete with animal wiring; we just can't teach brown boobies to eat Triscuits.


[Edited on 7-25-2015 by Osprey]

monoloco - 7-25-2015 at 09:12 AM

Those tuna seiners will go wherever there are fish. Two years ago I watched a fleet of 6 of them work for two days, using spotting helicopters, completely decimate a school of tuna right out in front of our place on the Pacific coast. When they finally left, all those boats were riding low to the gunnels and no one has caught a tuna in this neighborhood since.

[Edited on 7-25-2015 by monoloco]

redhilltown - 7-25-2015 at 11:46 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Osprey  
The Vaquita were doomed by mama nature. They eat where they live and it happens to be at the very end of a big wet net. That mama didn't see us coming so she didn't bother to build adaptability into some of her creatures.

Same with lots of sea birds in the northern gulf. They used to count the birds and nests on the islands, now they simply count the anchovetas, the food they need to live. People wanted, needed the same food the animals ate, the animals can't or won't switch to other food or travel to find more --- end of story.

It's happening all over and we are hard pressed to compete with animal wiring; we just can't teach brown boobies to eat Triscuits.


[Edited on 7-25-2015 by Osprey]



Or...they are doomed by Mama Man damming up the Colorado river and the commercial trawlers tearing up the Cortez. If you mean the "nature" of man...sure.

elfbrewery - 7-26-2015 at 09:40 AM

The unbalanced approach to harvesting will definitely doom the ecosystem.

Several years ago 5 pangos went out to catch sierra in Coyote Bay. They brought back two unmanned pangas loaded with them. I haven't seen a sierra in Coyote Bay for years now. Poof! They're gone.

Osprey - 7-26-2015 at 01:50 PM

Redhill, when it's man against the animals, usually the animals are the losers. The "nature of man" in your post makes mankind sound evil. I'm not evil. You're probably not evil. There, that's two of us already. There might be even more.

redhilltown - 7-27-2015 at 12:16 AM

Well thank you for thinking I am "probably" not evil!!!!! I think even an animal could have chosen his/her words a tad better...

But I get it. Though I don't agree. Man can do stupid and selfish crap and often it comes back to bite him. You can THINK man is going to win by ripping up the Cortez but in the long run, he will self destruct and the animals will rise again...just takes some time.

Osprey - 7-27-2015 at 12:32 AM

That's not really a "Thank you" is it? Ripping up? Even an animal could choose words a tad better.

bezzell - 7-27-2015 at 07:39 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Russ  

God bless our waters and those that protect it.


what would the skydaddy say about those killing his creations?

"Hear Thee, Hear Thee .... All in moderation, kiddies" !?? :lol::lol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=114&v=fsFpm4yAoMQ

[Edited on 7-27-2015 by bezzell]

Osprey - 7-27-2015 at 07:42 AM

That's a joke?

bezzell - 7-27-2015 at 07:51 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Osprey  
That's a joke?


your 'end of story!' is the joke amigo.

Osprey - 7-27-2015 at 08:08 AM

I'm not your amigo. Who is at the brunt of your senseless joke? There's probably another forum for bad jokes. Try search.

Paulclark - 7-27-2015 at 08:33 AM

Here is the web site to make a complaint about illegal fishing:

http://sidepi.conapesca.gob.mx:8080/CapturaDenuncia.jsp

It easily translates......

Osprey - 7-27-2015 at 09:36 AM

Thanks for that Paul. I'll bet a bunch of Nomad sportsmen are downloading that for the future. They are the ones who know about the successes, big and small that happen because somebody cared and found a way to get the information to the right agency. Safe to say there are hundreds of those concerned folks for every one of the jokers and naysayers who say "It's too late" or "Won't change a thing."

How many of them followed the struggle of the super conservation people who brought an end to the hookah raping of the La Paz area and zones north of there? How many buy their licenses "the easy way" instead of trying to get the funds to FONMAR where locals can use it to enforce LOCAL infractions?

basautter - 7-27-2015 at 07:46 PM

Great news! From my observations, netters ignore laws with no penalty :mad:

redhilltown - 7-27-2015 at 11:51 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Osprey  
That's not really a "Thank you" is it? Ripping up? Even an animal could choose words a tad better.


Uh...No...of course it wasn't a thank you for your presumption that I am "probably" not evil. I'll try to type slower so that the satire is more apparent.